Jorgen Svendsen retains OK Dinghy World 2013 number one ranking

Jorgen Svendsen (DEN) retains the World number one spot in the OK Dinghy World Rankings Championships in Pattaya, Thailand. Svendsen was the best sailor over the last three races in Pattaya to move up to seventh overall, which was just enough to hold a scant three point lead over multiple world champion Nick Craig (GBR) in the World Ranking.

This latest release of the OK Dinghy World Rankings includes the New Zealand Nationals, the Australian Nationals, Sail Melbourne, Sail Auckland and the World Championship.

Craig was runner up in Pattaya but moves up just one place, while Greg Wilcox (NZL) drops one to third. The biggest climber into the top 10 is the new World Champion Roger Blasse (AUS) who moves from 21st to eighth. Fellow Australians Mike Williams (AUS) and Mark Jackson (AUS) placed third and sixth in Pattaya to move up to 15th and 16th in the ranking.

While Jackson won the Australian Nationals, Blasse also won Sail Melbourne. Andre Budzien, the 2012 World Champion has also made his first appearance in the top 10, moving up from 19th to sixth.

One of the more interesting and encouraging bits of data to come out of the recent world championship was the diverse range of gear being used inside the top 10. While eight out of 10 of the hulls were built in the last three years, there are five different moulds being used, perhaps an indication that it is the sailors and their level of preparation, rather than the boat that counts. C-Tech from New Zealand continue to dominate the mast sector though Craig used the UK built Aardspars to good effect, while there was the widest range of sails being used for a number of years – seven different manufacturers. Foils are largely supplied by boat builders, apart from the odd exception, mainly because the shape of them largely limits much development.

The next major event for the class is the Spring Cup in Medemblik later in May, though most of the sailors who travelled to Thailand will still be waiting for their boats and will be unable to sail. After that the class is looking forward to its Europeans in Carnac, France in July.